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Thera 1.46: Samiddhi
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(46):Samiddhi Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =46. Samiddhi= He was reborn in this Buddha-age at Rājagaha,, in a clansman's family.1 From the time he was born the wealth of his family increased, and he himself, handsome and virtuous, became known as Samiddhi (Prospero). He saw the power of the Buddha when the latter was met by Bimbisara,2 won faith in him, and left the world(for monkhood), remaining devoted to meditation. When the Exalted One(Buddha) was staying at the Tapoda Park,3 Samiddhi one day was meditating in exquisite joy on his good fortune as a bhikkhu. Then Mara(deathlord/devil) the Evil One, unable to bear it, made a fearful noise near him, as if the very earth were splitting. The Thera told this to the Exalted One(Buddha). The latter asked him to persist where he was and think no more about it. He obeyed, and soon after won arahantship(enlightenment). Māra, unaware of it, once more created a fearful noise. But the Thera felt no fear: 'Undaunted by all such Māras, not once have I turned a hair!' And confessing aññā(supreme attainment), he uttered this verse: ---- 46 Saddhāyāhaɱ pabbajito agārasmānagāriyaɱ|| Sati paññā ca me vuddhā cittaɱ ca susamāhitaɱ|| Kāmaɱ karassu rūpāni neva maɱ bādhayissasī' ti.|| || ---- 46 In trust and hope forth from my home I came Into the homeless life. And there in me Have mindfulness and insight grown, and tense And well composed my heart and mind. Make you Whatever shams you list, you will harm me not. ---- And Mara(deathlord/devil), thus rebuked, said, 'The monk knows me,' and vanished from that place. ---- 1 Kulayehe. Cf. Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, pp. 17-22. 2 Vinaya Texts, i. 130. 3 This episode is related in nearly the same words, and with the same gāthā, in the Māra-Saŋyutta (Saŋy., i. 119 f., p. 91), but the geography is a little halting. In the Nikāya the locality is Silāvatī of the Sākiyans; the Tapoda Park was on the river of that name at Rājagaha.Samiddhi, in the double röle of Adonis and Galahad, is the subject of the 'Samiddhi-jātaka' (Jātaka ii., No. 167). ---- 1.5-6 46 Commentary on the stanza of =Samiddhi Thera= 6,1. The stanza starting with Saddhāyāhaṃ pabbajito constitutes that of the venerable Thera Samiddhi. What is the origin? This one also, having done devoted service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence, saw the Blessed One Suddhattha, ninety four aeons (kappa) ago from now, became pious-minded, collected flowers along with their twigs bound into a sheaf (kaṇṇika-baddha) and offered them reverentially (to Him). On account of that act of merit, he was reborn in the divine world and having done meritorious deeds now and then thoroughly turned himself round in his repeated rebirths in excellent existences even, he came to be reborn in a family home at Rājagaha, when this buddha arose. Beginning from the time he was born, that family became increasingly prosperous with wealth of cash and grains; his body also was specially beautiful, good-looking and possessed of good quality thus, because of the prosperity of wealth as well as the glory of quality he was known as Samiddhi even. He noticed the power of Buddha in the royal assembly of Bimbisāra, gained suitably his pious faith (saddhā), became a monk, led such a life as being intent on well-developed meditation (bhāvanā), one day, when the Blessed One was residing in the Tapoda monastery, throught himself in this manner:– “Gain, indeed, is to me, the Master, the worthy one, the self-awakened Buddha; moreover I have become a monk in the discipline of the dhamma which has been well-taught; my fellow leaders of holy life (sabrahmacārī) are possessed of moral precepts and good by nature (dhamma)” To him who was thinking thus, immense zest and delight arose.Not being able to bear it, the evil one Māra made a great frightful sound not far from the Thera; there was as if the time of bursting of the earth had come; the Thera informed the Blessed One about that matter. The Blessed One said thus:– “It was Māra’s design to perplex you; O bhikkhu! Go there and live on without thinking about it.” The Thera went there, where he lived on, indulged himself in developing clear insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship but before long. Hence, has it been said in Apadāna:– “On having seen Siddhattha, the charioteer of men, seated inside the hill, shining simi- lar to Kanikāra flower, lighting up all direc- tions; I then made my bow undividely certain, armed myself with an arrow, plucked a flower together with its twig and specially offered it to Buddha. It was ninetyfour aeons (kappa) ago from now, that I specially offered the flower; I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of reverential offering to Buddha. Fifty one aeons (kappa) ago from now I became a single world-king, the bearer of brilliance, mighty and strong and endowed with seven gems. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” 6,2. Having, however, attained Arahantship, when the Thera was still staying on there, Māra, not knowing the fact that the Thera had become canker-free, made a great fearsome sound, even in the same manner as before. On having heard it, the Thera, who was not afraid and unshaken, uttered a stanza starting with “Saddhāyāhaṃ pabbajito making manifest about his Arahantship (aññā) and saying to Māra thus: “Even a hundred and a thousand of Māras like you do not make even my-body-hair shake.” 46. There, Saddhāya means: by means of the pious faith in action and its fruition (kammaphala) as well as by means of faith in the three gems for the purpose of provoking desire for dhamma. Ahaṃ means:– he points out himself. Pabbajito means having gone near monkhood. Agārasmā means either from home or from household life. Anāgāriyaṃ means renunciation, monkhood. Indeed, whatever work of cultivation, commercial trading and so on is ‘the welfare of a householder’ (agārassa hitaṃ); thus, namely, is household life; because of the absence of it, it is said to be “anagāriya (houseless life).” Sati paññā ca me vuḍḍhā is to be construed thus:– rememberance (saraṇa) is the characteristic of (lakkhaṇa) of mindfulness (sati); knowing retionally (pajānana) is the symbol (lakkhaṇa) of mindfulness (sati); knowing rationally (pajānana) is the symbol (lakkhaṇa) of knowledge (or wisdom) (paññā); thus, beginning from the moment of my clearly seeing (vipassanākhaṇa) these phenomena (dhamma) there had been increase in my developing the holy paths (magga) in succession (paṭipāṭi) up till the attainment of Arahantship; now there is nothing left that ought to be increasingly developed; there had been attainment in abundance of mindfulness (sati) and wisdom (paññā); thus, he shows. Cittañca susamāhitaṃ is to be construed thus:– My mind has been well -composed by way of eight kinds of excellent jhānic attainments (samāpatti) as well as by way of transcendental concentration (lokuttara samādhi) now, there is no more of what should be concentrated upon for that mind; there has been attainment of abundance of concentration (samādhi); thus, he points out. Therefore Kāmaṃ karassu rūpāni is to be construed thus:– O Evil One! You do as you please any and every form of alteration making me as your target (uddissa); n’eva maṃ byādhayissassi is to be construed thus:– By means of them, however, you will not be able to manage even to the extent of shaking up my body; whence the change in my mind (cittaññathatta)? Therefore, your doings will not accomplish any beneficial purpose similar to a present which had not been accepted (appaticchita pahenaka); the fruitful result (of your doings) would merely serve to upset the mind of yours altogether; thus, the Thera threatened Māra. On having heard what the Thera had said, Māra disappeared but there saying to himself; “The monk recognises me.” The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Samiddhi is complete. ----